redwalllover28, thanks for the review, and yes I'm excited to start typing out the next few chapters!

SamualJennings, thanks for the last few reviews! And also the update email lol, I didn't realize I had taken so long to update!

Chapter 28 ( just getting the ball rolling the next two or three chapters will be packed!)

Three days later…

It was the early morning, well before the sunrise greeted priderock with the morning song from the pridelands birds. The lionesses were returning from a much needed hunt. To their luck, they finally had their esteemed leader back directing the calls and actions. It had been a while since the queen and new mother had been on to lead a hunt. But Sarabi nevertheless lead them to a needed victory.

The pride of sisters were returning from a successful hunt, if one could view it that way. They had made a kill yes, but the kill itself wasn't much to sustain the lionesses themselves. Maybe this would have the pride content for a day or so but barely.

The kill itself was rather unimpressive, the gazelle was half starved himself from eating the drying vegetation, most likely refusing to leave the lands it called home.

"How are you holding up?" A familiar voice came from the queens side. She turned to see her life long friend Sarafina approaching her.

"Surviving I suppose." She wore a smile on her muzzle, but in truth this first hunt took a little more of a toll on her than she thought. Her four paws ached while they carried her and her back was screaming with a mind of it's own.

"Well I'm glad to have you back."

"Thanks Sara." Then a question came to her mind to ask her honest friend. It had been the subject that had been weighting on her mind for three days now. Leaving pride rock. Every since her last conversation with Scar she needed him to know she meant business. Yet, at the same time she had to be realistic…leaving priderock? A place they called home for most of them-if not all of their lives.

As the queen looked around her kingdom she knew she couldn't sit and wait any longer for the hope of him changing his ways…or being saved by that matter. The queen could not count how many nights she dreamt that this reality she was in was nothing more than a nightmare and her beloved Mufasa would return back from the dead to be with her and their son once more.But at last, that didn't seem to be the case again.

"Are you sure, you're alright you seem alittle off?" Voiced the other mother.

"Oh, no I'm fine, just thinking. Actually can I ask you something Sara?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Would you ever leave priderock?" The questions did take Sarafina off guard for a moment. She looked to her friend, as if she was telling her something she didn't know if she should hear. " I'm just curious Sara."

"Well since you pose the question, I can't act as if I haven't thought about it myself. To be honest I don't know. I would like you say I have the courage to just take my daughter and leave but I know I can't do that. But why do you ask? You must be thinking something Sarabi."

Well now was a time if ever to tell her friend what she had been up to, and what she would be deciding for them-if they choose to follow.

"I told Scar we would leave the pridelands if things don't get better."

"W….what, when did this happen?!"

"Three day ago." She informed her, still reading the reaction on her face. "Sara, I had to go meet with him, Zazu's has been telling me the things that were going on around the kingdom and Scar was doing nothing!"

"Did you go alone?"

"Huh?"

"Don't huh me Sarabi, did you go alone?" The red orb lioness lip the bottom of her lip, giving her answer away. She knew Sarafina was not a fan of her and Scar being alone, EVER. When Sarafina frist learned what happened between Sarabi and Scar, she was beyond all her emotions. That was her best friend, practically her sister , that he put in paws on! If did not sit well with Sarafina at all, and if she didn't have a daughter herself to think about there would have been hell to pay. "Sarabi!" She scolded furrowing her brows at her sister. "You know I don't want you going anywhere near the snake- why didn't you tell me, I could have done with you-"

"You weren't here Sarafina and besides it needed to be done in a timely matter, there was other news I learned that day too." Thinking of Nala and Nuka encounter. Which was probably the main reason she went to go and speak with Scar. Scar himself could dog her out and make her life hell, but little did he know his growing son was picking up on his bad habits. Or maybe he did know, and just choice to do nothing about it, that seemed to be more of Scar ruling style.

"What others things did you learn then?"

"Nothing…I solved it." Sarabi thought for a second, not knowing if it was her place to tell Sarafina Nala's story. Especially with a situation like this, it would embarrass her no doubt-especially if she wasn't the one to bring it up to her mother. Sarabi more or less forced her to talk because she knew something was bothering her. But if she wasn't there would Nala have come to her to talk about it? "But if the subject comes up again, you will be the first to know."

"Okay." Then after a moment. "How did Scar take to that news then?"

"Hmp, just as I expected. He's not allowing us to leave." Sarabi voiced eyes still looking at the darkness that surrounded them." But I told him It didn't matter, we would be leaving. Sara, we have too…and to be honest. I didn't think…or hope the pridelands were this bad but, being out here for myslef…"

"Yes, the lands have changed a lot, haven't they?"

"Yes."

"Well…I guess we will have to talk to the others about leaving then." The queen turned back to face her friend, did she just hear her right? "What? You think I wouldn't support you on this? I'm seeing what's happening to our home just like the others. Believe me, everyone has an opinion of what we should do, but we wanted to wait and hear your voice first. I do think we should leave…I just don't know how."

"I'm afraid I would have to say the same. I don't know how we would leave priderock, Scar would have his hyenas around every corner. We would just need someone on the inside to help us know Scars whereabouts."

"But who though, I doubt you'd be thinking of Zira and her minions."

Sarabi couldn't lie to herself if she didn't think about her son, after all if she left priderock he would have to go with her. There would be no way she would let Scar sink his teeth and claws into Simba anymore. But would he leave and go with her? After all it had been so long since she had seen her little boy, who by no mean now was little. If anything he was probably taller than her now, and growing.

"No not her, but I'll figure something out. We can't stay here for long." As her red orbs scanned the rising horizon. Her body was heat with an over bearing sensation of dry heat. The dirt under her paws cracked every-so slightly. As small patches of dust was kicked up into the air with ease. There were no birds calling or bugs crawling on the-once moisture ground. "The dry seasons here…" voiced Sarabi to herself, as she thought of the magnitude they as a pride would face of the sudden changes to come. A plan to leave would really need to come sooner than later.

The heights of his acacia tree was no stranger to him. Rafiki had found himself again at the height of the tallest branch that ran from the center of the tree. He sat in stillness, focusing on the air moving around him. The winds danced in his fur and rattled the stone hard fruits on his staff. "…aw, it has been a while ma friend, wat has caused ya to come?"

He listened to the winds whispers, he told him everything he had been watching from afar. "See…so yur brotha is up to no gud again."

It had been awhile since he had last heard the voice of his old friend. Rafiki remembered the feeling he felt when he learned the truth of his Mufasa Death. It sat in a rotten place in the old mandrill stomach. To be killed in cold murder by the paws of his own brother. Just Scar presence tainted the pridelands. "Wat? Wat did ya say?"

The old mandrill leaned in more to the voices in his ear, defying gravity almost, which should have brought him falling down back towards earth. "No…no Scar may be mad, but…to do sum thing like da? My king are you sure?"

The winds around hims began to swirls in a furious rotation. Rattling the drying and dying leaves in am uproar that they flew from their branches. However the commotion didn't startle the mandrill. He still sat calmly amongst the chaos. " alright…alright..i known ya tellin ma tha truth. It's just hard ta see this happen. Ya father raised ya both tha same, and yet you both turned out so different." He slowly started to stir from his position. Making his way slowly down the branches, still conversing with Mufasa.

"Ya, I thought of tha myslef…Scar can no longer rule da lands.But…it wouldn't be ma place Mufasa. I hav no kings blood." Rafiki placed the dried fruits container down that carried the snakes poison.

He had framed the poison from the snake a few months ago, pondering whether or not to use it on the king of the pridelands. Besides fighting within himself to forget the face of the young cub he once knew as Taka, a cub he would watch grow from a distance with his brother, under the watchful gaze of their father and mother.

It was hard for Rafiki to not see the face of that cub when he thought of Taka or rather Scar now. But it wasn't only that. Scar had tainted the kingsblood, and it is only able to be fixed by another king who carries the Same blood. Otherwise the cruse of harmful rulers will keep befalling the pridelands.

Is what he was told, by another great king of the past...

"He has ya boy Mufasa, and he is wrappin him under his spell. But don't worry Rafiki hav a plan." He picked up the bundles of sticks wrapped in vines. They were scattered everywhere in his tree home. He would cleanse the pridelands of the curse. He would have to. He just had to wait on the sign. "In time, ya come bac Mufasa and tell me. Then we ca make our move."

On the opposite side of priderock an orange figure hit the ground hard, with the air being knocked out of his lungs. He hit the ground with a hard thud, dust flying everywhere. The laughter of three hyenas drowned out any idea of mental thinking for Simba.

He rose slowly, and eyed the three dogs, again deciding when and where to lunge since he was facing all three of them. For some reason to simba dismay Scar did not feel like training Simba,- who was the intended figure for his rage.

Today was the day the king from the mountain pride would be coming to more or less kidnap his cousin from him. Simba had thought about it, long and hard. What could he do to help Vitani? She kept telling him 'nothing nothing, he can do nothing.' Which didn't sit well with him.

"Ahh! Try again kid!" Voiced Shenzi

"He's gonna have to try waaaaay harder than that!" Voiced Banzai.

But simba didn't want to waste his energy on Scar's thee drooling dogs, he wanted to get at his uncle instead. Simba spat at the ground.

"Look I'm not trying to deal with you!" He voiced to the trio, who perked their ears to his sudden tone change.

"What you think you're too good for us huh?"

"Please, you're a waste of my time." He then directed his eyes towards his uncle, who wasn't paying the boy any attention at all. Scar Knew something was with his nephew,this morning . Giving the boy angst . but Scar would rather he let out his frustration on his hyenas then him- not Iike he could really do anything. Simba had worked up a sweat and he was still too clueless to know he should be saving it -if he thought he could go against his uncle. "Uncle Scar, why don't you face me huh?"

"…hmm, the idea sounds charming but I'll pass."

"Why? You have been all week, I don't see the problem with us facing off now?" He tilted his head to the side, almost cocky like.little did he know he was letting his emotions get to his head. But Scar was amused by the idea of teaching his nephew a lesson if he thinks he would….challenge him. The brown lion rose slowly.

"Leave us." His voice was clam and low, so low that the three dogs almost didn't hear him. They turned their heads in unions to make sure they had heard him right.

"Huh? Do you really want to be bothered by him Scar? I mean we wouldn't mind taking him off your paws." They exchanged deadly glares.

"No that won't be necessary, I'll find myself being done with our little conversation soon." He began to walk over to the nephew, who was still some distance away from him, the three dogs blocking his pathway. The hyenas soon parted and went about their separate ways leaving to two. "Spill it, What's with you."

His voice was more of a demand than a question. "How could you do that to Vitani! I mean she's your own daughter?!"

"And, you don't think I know that?." His manner was so clam and collected. Like the notion of never seeing his daughter had little to no effect on him, and that pissed simba off.

"Seriously?, she was- is devastated! How could you be so heartless! sending her off to someone she doesn't even know?"

"Hmm, is that why you're so angry today boy? interesting."

"Of course I'm angry about it, I'm pissed! And I'm more pissed that you don't seem to care! Not to mention that fact that you HIT her-What the hell is wrong with you Uncle Scar?! What gives you the right to do that!?" As Simba was ranting to him, Scar had turned his back to him. Redirecting his attention to something or somewhere else. "Hello are you even listening to me?!"

"Come here boy." In the pit of his stomach Simba wished he could get his uncle rilled up- so he could see some type of emotion. The aloofness of his uncle character always threw him for a loop. He could never understand him. " I said come here."

Simba hadn't realize he was still standing in the same spot, thinking to himself. Something just didn't add up, the more he thought about It the more simba was convinced his uncle was an emotionless monster. But how…how could someone be so careless and heartless and to their our cub for that fact of the matter.He sat down next to his uncle and eyed his cautiously. " don't look at me like that boy."

"….i don't get you uncle Scar I really don't."

"Hmp, shall I explain myself then-"

"Yes! Help me understand how you could do something like this and NOT bat an eye!"

"Easy, because I have to which is something you nor your cousin understand."

"Have to?...no one making you do this-"

"Oh cam down, this is nothing to be worked up about- this was bound to happen sooner or later. It always has, it was predestined. You act like I'm the first king to do this. Please simba, I'm not the first and I'm not the last. Kings have decided others fates time and time again. Your grandfather did it, his father before him did it, and your own father did it as well. You think being king is easy? You think kings actually enjoy being king and ruling, please!"

"...but it's still not fair, you should have told her!-"

"I have no obligation to do any such thing! I don't know why it is taking this generation so long to realize life isn't what your parents fooled you into thinking."

"So that's it, he's coming for her today and you're just going to let her leave?"

"What else is to come of it, there's nothing you can do about it so you might as well get out of your feelings." Simba sucked his fangs, how …how could be be like that. Sure being king had to be hard and challenging at times- no one said it would be easy. But just shipping your daughter off like that and for what gain? The mountain pride barely have anything anyways! Simba would have had more time to ponder what his uncle said, but a sudden sock to his gut had his stumbling back for air.

"Arghhh!" Scar had released his grip from simba stomach. The move was so fast that simba literally didn't know what had hit him. He looked to his uncle baffled, Scar retracted his claws that had little orange hairs on it.

"And if you think you're ever so bold you think you can challenge me, think again." Simba said nothing, he just struggled to catch air into his lungs from his uncles dirty move. "Listen here Simba don listen well, I'm the teacher here and i'm being gracious to let you in on the lesson. Get rid of your feelings, they don't severe you any purpose on this life. And trust me, you will get nothing done, if you have them. You think I'm bad or evil for making this decision? well at least no one has died from my ruling-I can't say the same for your father. Who was so closed minded he'd let his poor judgement cause the death of so many others. It's a real shame. The pride lands found themselves in a place where it couldn't sustain more life and was barely sustaining the lives in it. So your brilliant father made a discussion that caused the deaths of many innocent lives. And yet….you don't hear others complaining about it. But then again in your defense you probably didn't know it. Unlike your father, I think about my decisions ever so carefully, this decision wasn't made in haste boy. I thought it out very carefully, and this pride will benefit from it greatly."He pushed passed his nephew without a second thought about it. Simba nearly fell to his stomach again the brush was so forceful. "Oh and as far as me hitting her…at least she didn't end up with a Scar like me. She'd better be counting her lucky stars for that. Now get up, and think carefully about the next time to raise a voice and question me."

It was still in the early morning when the prince of the pride-lands had returned back to pride rock from his morning training. His paws were meet with the coolness of the morning stones walkway. Nuka had spent most of his night out to himself, not even bothering to have Egg and Bones follow him anymore. He didn't think he needed the company of creatures who weren't on his level.

The sun beamed on his back as he walked into the den. There was no one there, as usual. Or at least no one that Nuka thought was Important. Not like it were Nala or something,-now that would surely make his morning special . But instead of his eyes feasting on the beautiful blue-eyed lioness. He was faced with her total opposite, Vitani.

"Ugh you know that frown doesn't compliment your face at all." He voiced before plopping himself on the ground across from her. She was holding their sister and it looked like their mother was nowhere in sight again. With irritated eyes Vitani voiced.

"Shut. up." She would have voiced it louder if Shia wasn't right next to her. She did not want to be bothered by anyone today- especially her brother, who was never shy in sharing his unwanted remarks. And as the twins aged it seemed like her brother made it his mission to piss off his sister at any chance he got. It didn't matter the situation. It didn't help the fact that They were never close growing up- but the relationship became even more a-strange as they grew older.

"Hmp,I don't see the problem. I heard the king from the mountain pride is actually coming here today- someone actually WANTS you Vitani-"

"I said shut up!" Her suddenly loud voice woke her sleeping sister. The twins both sighed in annoyance.

"Now look what you did, can you do anything right-"

"Nuka leave me alone!, I don't know how many times I'm going to warn you before you push me too far!" Push her too far? And what was she going to do beat him up? ha what a laugh! That thought of it now really did amuse him. Before he use to be afriad of his sisters threats…but know, the idea of Vitani doing anything to him was…cute more or less. Which is why Nuka started laughing some. "The hell is so funny Nuka?!"

"Hmp, I see that bruise is still there too. I hope the king of the mountain pride wont mind having damage property." His laughter was sinister " Well at least you're not broken hah!"

Vitani honestly didn't know what to say to this, she knew her brother was an ass at times, but now he had just become cruel for no reason.

"What the hell is wrong with you Nuka! Have some sympathy do you have any idea what I am doing though?! My life's about to change forever! And it's all dad's fualt!"

"Well at least dad doing something with you…"

"W-what?"

"Ugh nothing." Retracting his comment. It felt like it had been weeks since Nuka had seen to his father, let alone talked to him. Nuka couldn't remember the last time he had had a decent conversation with his father. The only thing he can remember is him getting embarrassed by him when he more or less thrown in the dirt by him. And told him he was nothing. A fire stirred in his stomach that day, and it never went away- if anything it grew more and more with each passing day. " honestly you're just complaining Vitani and you need to get out of your feelings. It's not about you it's about the kingdom and dad's doing what he has to do."

"Selling his own daughter Nuka, even you have to have a heart and see that's wrong!"

"You do what you have to do sometimes." He voiced plain and simple. " you my simple sister can't see the bigger picture-"

"You're unbelievable!"

"What I can't help it, if I say something you don't want to hear. But the truth the truth Vitani. You need to do your duty for him-"

"I could care less about dad at this point, he can vanish from the face of this earth for all I care! I hate him."

"…sounds like you'll be waiting for a long time, because dad's not going anywhere-" that was her last straw.

"Get out! NUKA! I SAID GET OUT!!" She had had enough of him. And she fought back the water coming to her eyes. Why she had hoped for some reason he would have some type of care and concern for his sister was beyond her. It was something she knew had died a long time ago. She was officially fed up with him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. If she could un-be his twin, she would.

By this time Shia was roaring uncontrollably and there was no use in staying in a situation like that. So Nuka slowly got up and left both of his sisters. Sucking his teeth as he did so. Whatever, he had better things to do than to hang around some ungrateful lioness. Clearly he was the only one who understood his father and the lesson he was teaching them.

"Try to fix your face before he gets here okay, I wouldn't want you scaring off our guest before they even take you with them." And he left the den. To a screaming Shia and fuming Vitani.